**2. Importance of goat production**

Perhaps the most important reason of goat keeping is its role in the livelihood of people. This role could not be replaced with other species of ruminants: Raising goats is the only way to save the life of millions of people around the world. Goats can be grown in the areas where it is not possible to breed other animals like cattle or sheep. Furthermore, in some situations, "goat" is the exclusive animal who transforms low-quality roughage to human food. There is some vegetation on steep, mountainous and rocky terrain that can be beneficiated only by goat production. Because other farm animals such as cattle or sheep cannot live there.

Cashmere-producing goats are grown majorly in areas that there are very limited in alternative sources of income, such as agriculture or industry. Therefore, raising goats will encourage the villagers to live in the same rural and nomadic areas and not migrate to cities.

There is an organ in the body of the goat called the rumen. The rumen can be named as a high-performance "bioreactor" because its output is higher than input! We consider rumen as a very large "Petri dish" that transforms efficiently nonprotein nitrogen to valuable animal protein consumable by human.

Estimation of goat population from FAO STAT is presented in **Figure 1**. Major cashmere-producing countries are China, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey, and other minor producers such as New Zealand. China is the world's largest producer of cashmere production, accounting for more than 70% of world output; Mongolian cashmere production accounts for about 20% [2]. Other estimates showed that China and Mongolia produce 60–70%

**85**

nearly y the rest (20–30%) [3].

**Figure 1.**

**Source of cashmere**

Mongolia (14–15.5 μm)

Kazakhstan (19–19.5 μ)

*\*Not available data. #Schneider index.*

Reference D. B.

Iran (17.5–18 μm)

**Table 1.**

producing countries.

*New Look on an Ancient Fiber of Cashmere DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89814*

*Estimation of goat population. FAO stat 2019.*

**Price in 2000 (US\$/kg)**

Holdsworth

*Price estimation of exported dehaired-cashmere in some countries.*

of the world production of raw cashmere while and Iran and Afghanistan produce

**Price in 2018 2005**

105 105.000–110.000

MNT/kg

**#**

China \* 600–800 UMB/KG 94 127 124 109 110 140 131

**2010 #**

75 \* 58 87 86 73 69 97 108

17–50 \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \*

www.gschneider.com

**2015 #**

**2016 #**

74 98 88 82 78 118 95

**2017 #**

**2018 #**

**2019 #**

Also there are some other estimations about cashmere production quantity. It is estimated that production of raw cashmere be nearly 8000 tons annually [4]. Australia and New Zealand between them produced just 45 tons of down [4]. **Table 1** shows an estimation of exported dehaired cashmere in some countries. Iran is one of the main producers and exporters of cashmere in the world, third after China and Mongolia. Of

We have no access to any exact statistics about the cashmere production in the

• The exact figures of cashmere amount are not available in the major cashmere-

• This product is constantly traded between the producer countries. It's difficult to find the source of existing cashmere at trading time. For example, cashmere of Afghanistan is traded among Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China:

the 25 million goats in Iran, 5 million are cashmere-producing goats.

world. We can summarize the following reasons for this:

*Goats (Capra) - From Ancient to Modern*

synthetic made clothes.

them exclusive in textile industry.

**2. Importance of goat production**

not migrate to cities.

• Natural fibers are a healthy choice: Natural fibers provide natural ventilation. Synthetic fibers occasionally cause skin sensitivities, and therefore people with severe skin eczema should be strictly prevented from long contact with

• Natural fibers are a responsible choice: Natural fibers are of major economic importance to many developing countries and vital to the livelihoods and food

• Natural fibers are a sustainable choice as long as human have access to the sun and soil for agriculture: The emerging "green" economy is based on energy efficiency, renewable feed stocks in polymer products, industrial processes that reduce carbon emissions, and recyclable materials. More recent studies have shown that producing 1 ton of polypropylene—widely used in packaging, containers, and cordage—emits into the atmosphere more than 3 tons of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.

• Natural fibers are a high-tech choice: Natural fibers have good mechanical strength, low weight, and low cost. They have some characteristics that make

virtues to protect the user from the surrounding rudiments [1].

Because other farm animals such as cattle or sheep cannot live there.

tein nitrogen to valuable animal protein consumable by human.

• Natural fibers are a fashionable choice: Natural fibers are at the heart of an ecofashion or "sustainable clothing" movement that seeks to create garments that are sustainable at every stage of their life cycle, from production to disposal. For example, Cashmere wool is the best sustainable and renewable fiber with

Perhaps the most important reason of goat keeping is its role in the livelihood of people. This role could not be replaced with other species of ruminants: Raising goats is the only way to save the life of millions of people around the world. Goats can be grown in the areas where it is not possible to breed other animals like cattle or sheep. Furthermore, in some situations, "goat" is the exclusive animal who transforms low-quality roughage to human food. There is some vegetation on steep, mountainous and rocky terrain that can be beneficiated only by goat production.

Cashmere-producing goats are grown majorly in areas that there are very limited in alternative sources of income, such as agriculture or industry. Therefore, raising goats will encourage the villagers to live in the same rural and nomadic areas and

There is an organ in the body of the goat called the rumen. The rumen can be named as a high-performance "bioreactor" because its output is higher than input! We consider rumen as a very large "Petri dish" that transforms efficiently nonpro-

Estimation of goat population from FAO STAT is presented in **Figure 1**. Major cashmere-producing countries are China, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey, and other minor producers such as New Zealand. China is the world's largest producer of cashmere production, accounting for more than 70% of world output; Mongolian cashmere production accounts for about 20% [2]. Other estimates showed that China and Mongolia produce 60–70%

security of millions of small-scale farmers and processors.

**84**

### **Figure 1.** *Estimation of goat population. FAO stat 2019.*


### **Table 1.**

*Price estimation of exported dehaired-cashmere in some countries.*

of the world production of raw cashmere while and Iran and Afghanistan produce nearly y the rest (20–30%) [3].

Also there are some other estimations about cashmere production quantity. It is estimated that production of raw cashmere be nearly 8000 tons annually [4]. Australia and New Zealand between them produced just 45 tons of down [4]. **Table 1** shows an estimation of exported dehaired cashmere in some countries. Iran is one of the main producers and exporters of cashmere in the world, third after China and Mongolia. Of the 25 million goats in Iran, 5 million are cashmere-producing goats.

We have no access to any exact statistics about the cashmere production in the world. We can summarize the following reasons for this:


**Figure 2.**

*Raw cashmere purchase price from farmers (LPP, LIFE Network, IUCN–WISP and FAO. 2010. Adding value to livestock diversity – Marketing to promote local breeds and improve livelihoods. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper. No. 168. Rome).*

**Figure 3.** *Goats and sheep population and cashmere prices in Mongolia, 1992–2000, Sources: Bakey et al. (2001); FAO (2002).*

**87**

**Figure 4.**

*(Ansari 2013).*

*New Look on an Ancient Fiber of Cashmere DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89814*

**3.1 Most important cashmere-producing breeds**

Baluchistan is probably a ascendant of cashmere goats.

**3. Biology**

• Demand and consumption diagram of cashmere has sinus form. Therefore, the cashmere warehouse has effect on exports and imports of cashmere.

• The major areas of cashmere production are mountainous, in extensive system of animal production. So estimation or recording of cashmere production is not possible precisely. Exceptionally New Zealand and Australia publish their

• Due to the competition of textile companies among them, accurate information is not provided on the supply of raw materials. Cashmere harvest system in China (combing) is different in comparison with Iran and Afghanistan (Shearing), so it is difficult to compare quantity of cashmere production from fleece weight.

We mention here for example, two figures of estimation of raw cashmere purchase price from farmers (**Figure 2**) and cashmere prices in Mongolia, 1992–2000(**Figure 3**).

From a biological viewpoint, all of the dairy goats produce cashmere, but in some breed the production of cashmere is noticeable, so they have been nomenclatured as "cashmere-producing goats." Indeed, many breeds of goat have secondary follicles in their skin that produce "down coat" or cashmere. But the amount of this cashmere is very different among breeds. So, from each goat, we can harvest cashmere, but its quantity may be 10–500 gr/animals. In conclusion, the breeds with sufficient quantity of down fibers will be famous as cashmere goats. For example, some breeds are shown in **Figures 4–6**. In the literature, various words could be found for cashmere, e.g., Kork, Tuvet, and pashmina. Cashmere goat is named as Tibet goat in some bibliographies. Some cashmere-producing goats are Nningza, Soyan, Gansu, and Raeini. The wild goat of *Capra hircus blythi* found in Sind and

*Main cashmere goat breeds of Iran: Raeini (first row), Nadoushan (second row) and Birjandi (third row).* 

Sometimes cashmere has been deposit until rising of prices.

exact statistics about their low quantity of cashmere production.


We mention here for example, two figures of estimation of raw cashmere purchase price from farmers (**Figure 2**) and cashmere prices in Mongolia, 1992–2000(**Figure 3**).
